Alt keys & navigation — Excel guide
Every button on the ribbon has a keyboard address, and every cell is one jump away. Learn the Alt system once and the mouse becomes optional.
How KeyTips work
Press and RELEASE Alt (or F10), letter badges appear over every ribbon tab. Type a tab's letter and its buttons grow letters too; keep typing to fire a command. Sequences are written Alt+H, O, I: nothing is held down, you just type the letters in order. Esc backs up one level at a time. Bonus: most Excel 2003 menu accelerators still work as legacy aliases. Alt, I, R still inserts a row, Alt, E, S still opens Paste Special.
The tab letters
Nine letters unlock everything. Mostly mnemonic: H for Home, N for iNsert (new things), M for forMulas, A for dAta, W for vieW (window).
| Keys | Opens |
|---|---|
| Alt+F | File |
| Alt+H | Home |
| Alt+N | Insert |
| Alt+P | Page Layout |
| Alt+M | Formulas |
| Alt+A | Data |
| Alt+R | Review |
| Alt+W | View |
| Alt+Q | Search, type a command's name and run it |
Sequences that pay rent
The dozen worth hard-wiring. Each one traces its ribbon path, say it as you type it and it sticks.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt+H, O, I | AutoFit column width |
| Alt+H, O, A | AutoFit row height |
| Alt+H, V, V | Paste values only |
| Alt+H, B, A | All borders |
| Alt+H, M, C | Merge & Center |
| Alt+H, I, R / I, C | Insert row / column |
| Alt+H, D, R / D, C | Delete row / column |
| Alt+H, E, A | Clear all (contents + formats) |
| Alt+A, T | Toggle filter arrows |
| Alt+N, V, T | Create PivotTable |
| Alt+W, F, F | Freeze Panes |
Navigate anywhere
Beyond Ctrl+Arrow and Ctrl+Home (covered in the shortcuts guide), the jumps that handle everything else.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Name Box | Type C500 or a named range, Enter, teleport, selected |
| Ctrl+Backspace | Scroll back to the active cell without moving it |
| Alt+PgDn / PgUp | One screen right / left |
| Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab | Next / previous workbook window |
| F6 / Shift+F6 | Cycle panes: grid → ribbon → status bar |
| Ctrl+[ | Jump to a formula's precedents (F5, Enter jumps back) |
| Ctrl+. | Walk the corners of the current selection |
Menus without a mouse
The last mile of mouse-free Excel. What's behind each tab letter is the ribbon guides' department, start with the Home tab.
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Shift+F10 | Right-click context menu for the selection |
| Alt+Down | Open the cell's dropdown, filter, validation list |
| Ctrl+1 | Format Cells dialog |
| Alt+F4 | Close Excel (it will ask about unsaved work) |